Weeks 20-24: Crow Edge to Little Strickland
Hope everyone had a safe Thanksgiving and Christmas, and that these past few weeks have been happy, healthy ones for you.
Working in philanthropy, this is our busiest time of year. It hasn’t been easy to make time for running, let alone blogging about it! So as of today I’m about 100 miles behind pace to finish this trek to John O’Groats by my birthday on March 4.
I’m not in the kind of shape I’d need to be in to knock that out in a day (it’s been a few years since then, after all!) but I’ve figured out that I can still finish on time, adding a few miles to each day’s run here and there as I make my way north.
I need to keep this update somewhat brief, but we’ve traversed a very scenic 100+ miles since my last update on our virtual trip through Great Britain so I didn’t want to let more time go by without sharing some information from the (virtual) road.
As we head north from Crow Edge, just off our course to the right, we first pass the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. This park, part museum, part outdoor sculpture garden, features a permanent collection plus traveling exhibits from around the world. Situated on the Bretton Hall Estate, the sculpture park was founded in 1977 by Peter Murray, CBE with the goal to “ignite, nurture and sustain interest in and debate around contemporary art and sculpture, especially with those for whom art participation is not habitual or familiar.” In addition to the many human visitors the sculpture park attracts each year, wildlife traipses through the site too.
Henry Moore’s Large Two Forms at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park
A bit north and west of the Sculpture Park sits Castle Hill, where the remains of a late-Bronze Age fort sit. People have been fortifying this site for centuries, first as a hill fort with a single raised bank, then in the 12th century a motte and bailey castle. The most visible structure there today is a fairly new one, historically speaking: the Victoria Tower, built in 1897 to honor the sixtieth year of Queen Victoria’s reign.
Castle Hill, including Victoria Tower, just south of Huddersfield
Hardcastle Crags, a bit farther up the road, is a conserved woodland area full of trails and wildlife.
Hardcastle crags in winter, with icicles forming beside a brook.
An overlook at Hardcastle Crags.
One of the most intriguing sites I came across on the Hardcastle Crags’ website is a contemplative path, known as “One Thus Gone,” comprising eight short poems that were written with the Crags in mind. As Deborah Templeton, a freelance writer and director of the Mindfulness and Performance Project at the University of Huddersfield, explained, "Spending time amongst trees is such a great way to slow down and tap into our reservoirs of natural wellbeing, but sometimes we need a little help in shifting gears! I'm interested in the ways that poetry and other artforms can help us to find our way into more spacious and contemplative modes of being. 'One thus gone' is designed as an invitation to the visitor to explore sensory and reflective ways to deepen their woodland experience."
Next, we pass Leeds, the unofficial “capital city of Yorkshire,” a city of so many centuries of history and things to see, there’s no way to sum it up here. Just a couple of brief tidbits I was surprised to learn:
Leeds is home to many arcades, those nineteenth-century semi-enclosed shopping areas that I associate more with Paris, Budapest and Milan than with any city in the U.K. Oh, and speaking of shopping, it turns out that Marks & Spencer was founded in Leeds in 1884, initially as “Marks’ Penny Bazaar.”
The other site I’ll mention is Leeds Minster, in part because it’s been a spiritual site for centuries, around which the city grew. The church was mentioned in the Domesday Book, but dates to earlier than 1086, as fragments of Anglo-Scandinavian stone crosses were uncovered here during the construction of the present church.
Just northwest of Leeds sits Kirkstall Abbey, preserved ruins of a Cistercian abbey along the River Aire.
Kirkstall Abbey, photo by Wikimedia user Minda.
It was founded around 1152, then disestablished in 1539 when Henry VIII dissolved all the monasteries. So at this point, it has not been an abbey longer than it was an abbey. But that’s part of its history too: even as a ruin, artists from John Sell Cartman to William Turner traveled to Leeds to paint the ruins and its picturesque surroundings.
“Kirkstall Abbey, on the River Aire” by Joseph Mallord William Turner (you can see it at the Tate)
Continuing north on our journey, we enter the Yorkshire Dales National Park. And even though this is only a virtual journey, I have to say I was SO excited to enter this park, as I’ve read so much about this unique landscape and geology over the years. One of the first sites we pass, Malham Cove, is a large limestone formation carved by an Ice Age river.
Malham Cove, photo by Wikimedia user Nphotoltd. The waterfall isn’t usually visible; read more about why here!
Today, many people recognize the site from above, where a distinctive limestone pavement sits… and where Harry and Hermione camped in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1.”
Photo by Wikimedia user Lupin
Good thing they’ve got magic at their disposal… otherwise the limestone pavement at Malham would be very uncomfortable to sleep on!
Swaledale, photo by Stephen Garnett
View from Great Whernside, Coverdale. Visit the Yorkshire Dales National Park site for more scenery and sites (including several castles!)
Finally, we can’t close this update without mentioning James Herriot, who wrote so beautifully about the Dales in his books. Herriot — or rather, James Alfred Wight, as “James Herriot” was a pen name — started work at a veterinary practice in Thirsk, in 1940, and began publishing his autobiographical novels in 1970.
And thank goodness he did! His stories have had such a profound effect on my life, and I’m sure, the lives of countless others. By writing so poignantly about the human-animal bond, and the myriad people and animals he knew throughout his career, he’s made readers laugh, and cry, and build a vision of Yorkshire in their minds along the way.
Fancy a pint?
Unlike the Naylor brothers, who pledged to “abstain from all intoxicating drink” during their 1871 walk on this route, I’m not at all opposed to popping into interesting-looking pubs along the way. Here are a few along this stretch of the journey.
Several pubs in the U.K. claim to be the oldest; one of those is the Bingley Arms in Bardsey, West Yorkshire. It was definitely in existence already as early as 953 AD, although there is also evidence suggesting it could be even older.
The pub has many historic features including beautiful old exposed beams, and even “priest holes” in the chimney. I hadn’t heard of priest holes, but they came about after Elizabeth I’s accession in 1558, when Catholic plots came to light whose aim had been to remove Elizabeth from the throne. Severe measures were taken against Catholic priests, so sympathizers sometimes built priest holes to conceal the presence of a priest when searches were made of the building. They were concealed in walls, under floors, behind wainscoting… and apparently, in fireplaces!
A bit further north but also in the Yorkshire Dales National Park sits — at 1,732 feet above sea level — the U.K.’s highest pub, the Tan Hill Inn. The Inn has an entire interactive historical timeline on its website, but since the 17th century, it has always catered to walkers and other rugged nature lovers. It offers beer, cider and liqueurs made locally, and also a vegan-friendly menu! And in addition to offering fully furnished rooms, those interested in a more rugged experience (camping, or sharing a bunk room with other hikers) will find options too.
Whitelock’s Ale House, established in 1715, is the oldest pub in Leeds. The pub prides itself on its wide selection of real ale and craft beers – many from Yorkshire breweries – alongside a menu of fresh, home-cooked and locally sourced food. Whitelock’s was a favorite meeting place for stage stars, and it apparently received royal approval when Prince George, later Duke of Kent, entertained a party in a curtained-off section of the restaurant. At one time a doorman made sure that men wore dinner jackets and, as women were not allowed at the bar, waiters served drinks where female customers sat.
Today, it is open to all, from its position in the heart of Leeds.
Sustenance for the Hungry Vegan
Heralded as one of Leeds’ finest vegetarian cafés for the past 25 years, Roots and Fruits’ owners have recently made the restaurant “vegan, with vegetarian options,” using freshly and locally-sourced ingredients.
Many reviews recommend trying 'The Whole Bowl,’ comprised of chipotle black beans, brown rice, mango salsa, guacamole and vegan 'cheesey' sauce – and Caribbean Jerk Jackfruit.
Knaves Kitchen, inside the Oporto Bar
In the Oporto Bar is the pop-up restaurant Knaves Kitchen, serving - as they put it - “the finest vegan junk food, serving up guilty eats with a conscience.”
Health food it is not, but from breakfast through late-night, it looks delicious! And if you’re craving a “vegan McMuffin” with “facon,” or poutine slathered with gravy, or a greasy burger served with flavorful sauces and crispy fries, they’ve got you covered.
After our “comfort food” splurge is over, we can “detox” at Eat Your Greens, a veggie-forward cafe also in Leeds. It’s not 100% vegetarian, but veggies are the priority here; everything on the menu is vegan unless it says otherwise.
They pride themselves on sourcing the best produce and ingredients for their menu, and diners can take them home, as this restaurant is also a grocery!
There’s a real sense of social and environmental responsibility here too. As chef and co-founder Jim Hirst shared in a review, “We use organic produce, and most of our vegetables come from a local organic farm based in Tadcaster. All our dishes are heavily researched and although we take inspiration from many cuisines, we aim to substitute unattainable ingredients with local and European alternatives. Sourcing is really important to us and we only work with suppliers that we believe care as much as we do about the environment and their social responsibility.”
Sounds like a delicious way to end the week.
Cheers, everyone, and see you on the trail!
